For the past several weeks/month I have been doing a lot of things for the kids including making their beds; cleaning their rooms (ish); washing, drying, folding, and putting away their laundry; and loading the dishwasher. I do all of this because I’m home and it seems easier for me to take care of everything (especially since they aren’t home much).
Robert and I have been talking and he is worried that I’m enabling them by doing so much for them, and he’s right.
I got this book at the library yesterday; I just started reading it and I’m already motivated!
Raising a Self-Disciplined Child: Help Your Child Become More Responsible, Confident, and Resilient.
Today I decided to update their chore charts and start sticker charts for chores. For every sticker they will receive $0.20. So they will receive $1-2 a week. Their chore charts reflect what needs to be done, but some chores won’t be done every day. They will not receive money for homework. It’s just on there because they like to be able to check things off :-).
I hope to teach them some money management through this. I don’t want them to grow up like me and spend every cent that they have. I want to teach them to save, give, and spend what’s left. Ethan takes after me in many ways, including how he spends money (but he chooses to do extra chores often to have more money). Karis and Levi don’t really spend.
This is our updated multi-purpose “hub.” It has our meal planning, events calendar (for the month), chore charts, and sticker charts. Below it are baskets. One is for backpacks and one is for library books and it has my lunch box in it.
I imagine that I’ll learn a lot more as I read. Ultimately, I have good kids. They have their days, but when I ask them to do something they don’t argue (well most of the time). They have good behavior at school. They are polite. They include kids that need to be included. They work hard. They eat what’s given to them (sometimes they try to get out of it, but they do it). They do their homework without a fight. They read more than they have to.
I just want to teach them to be more responsible.
It’ll be good!
In the evenings we have a routine. They shower (every other day). We read out of a book (right now we’re reading Wayside Stories) and we sing and pray. I plan to start reading a Bible book that I got when I was homeschooling called Who Is God? (And Can I Really Know Him?). I had given it to a neighbor and she’s not using it, so I decided to start it again.
Life is good. I’m feeling completely at peace about the final decisions we have made for the kids. I love the school, the teachers, the kids, and the parents. I love that they have the opportunities that they do because they go to school there. I love that they get free meals :-). I love that they don’t have a ton of homework. I love that they are thriving! I went to the school yesterday for their choir and am just so impressed with everything! The library is amazing. We made the right decision. Now I can just learn to live every day here inviting people over, making meals for people, and taking good care of myself!
Simply Courtney 